Lamidi Apapa, the most senior deputy national Has taken over the running affairs of Labour Party
The return of factional leader Lamidi Apapa turned the tables on the leadership fight between the Nenadi Usman Caretaker Committee, backed by Governor Alex Otti and LP presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, and the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee.
After a year-long absence from politics, Apapa returned on Wednesday to announce that he had assumed leadership of the Labour Party in the wake of last Friday’s Supreme Court ruling, as detailed in the Certified True Copy.
A decision that had been made by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which had acknowledged Abure as the party’s national chairman, was overturned by a panel of five members of the Supreme Court in its most recent ruling.
The statement which was released was signed by the Deputy National Chairman of the National Labor Congress (NLC), Mr. Ladi Iliya, the Deputy National Chairman of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr. Ayo Olorunfemi, the National Secretary, Alh. Umar Farouq Ibrahim, the National Legal Adviser, Bar Oyelekan Akingbade, the National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Abayomi Arabambi, and Mrs. Oluchi Opara, the National Treasurer.
Apapa announced in the statement that the National Working Committee of the party, which has been in existence since 2022, will convene on the following Monday, April 14th, 2025.
It reads, “Following the dismissal of the cross-appeal filed by the ousted former National Chairman, Bar Julius Abure, also by the Supreme Court on 4th April 2025, what this means is that all actions and decisions taken by Julius Abure since 4th April 2023 are null and void.
“Following the decision of the Supreme Court to set aside all judgments that recognise the leadership of Julius Abure as National Chairman, I, Alhaji Bashiru Lamidi Apapa, the most senior deputy national, and in consonance with our party constitution, Article 14 2(a)(b), hereby take over the running of the affairs of our great party with effect from today, in an acting capacity, and Alh Farouk Umar Ibrahim as National Secretary.
“My leadership hereby calls on all members of the Labour Party that the National Working Committee of our party as of 2022 will meet next week, Monday, 14th April 2025, to announce our plans, which will include zoning the position of National Chairman to the North and National Secretary to the South.”